Method of casting curved and flat stereotype plates



'l 1927. Ap" 12- J, P. cA'rLlN -METHOD 0F CA'STING CURVED AND FLAT STEREOTYPE PLATES.

originnmed Jan. 19. 1922 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. l2, 1927.

lNITE-D STATES l 1,623,997 y PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH P. CATLIN, OF IBRIDG-EPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WOOD NEWSPAPER MACHINERY CORPORATION, NEW YORK, N. Y., CORPORATION 0F VIRGINIA.

METHOD OF CASTING CURVED `AND FLAT STEREOTYP PLATES.

pplication led January 19, 1922, Serial No. 530,316. Renewed December 27, 1926.

This invention relates to`curved or fiat stereotype plates, and particularly to a method for casting the same.

. It has for an object a simple method for casting curved or flat stereotype plates which will reduce the time required for producing a given number lof round or flat plates over that required in the present method of casting, so, that, particularlyy in newspaper work, the presses may be held longer for later news.

It has also -for an object the reduction ot' the cost of the plates, as the same' number of men can produce .more plates in a given time by my method, than with the method now generally employed, thus reducing the cost per plate, or the same number ofplates may' be produced with fewer men. This saving in the cost is material in newspaper Work as wellas in magazine Work.

It has for a further objectv the production of a better and more uniform round or fiat plate than is ordinarily produced -bythe present method employed.

With these and other objects in view, my method consists broadly of mounting one or more paper matrices ina substantially cylindrical mold facing inwardly, pouring or iutroducing molten metal into the mold and simultaneously rotating the mold andnm'trices at sufficient speed to force the'niolten .metal into the depressions of the matrices and distribute it uniformly over the faces of the same under centrifugal action. and continuing such rotation until the metal has set.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Irig. 1 is a vertical section through a representation of `one form of mold which may be used to carry out my method.y

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,`

'Fig 3 is a top plan view, portions of the mold being shown in section. and Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of a mold for.- casting flat plates.

A suitable support is represented at 10 provided with suitable bearings 11 for the mold comprising an outer casing, preferably made in twvo sections 12, hinged at 13 with a suitable support 14 connected to core 15, a

- similar element 1G being provided diametri- -cally opposLe the element 14. The core is inner walls thereof.

preferably cylindrical and closed at one end by upwardly inclined end walls 17 and secured at its lower end tothe supporting casting 18 by suitable means, such as bolts 19, the lower. end of this core being preferably 'seated in an annular groove in the supporting casting, as shown. This core is preferably provided with an outwardly extending Harige 21 against which the lower ends of the sections 12 restwhenthese sections are 65 in closed position*` and holds them suitably spaced from the side walls of the `core to prO- vide casting spaces22. The supporting casting 18 is mounted to rotate in the support 10A in the bearings 11, indicated at 23, vand has secured thereto -a suit-able pulley 24 which may be driven by a belt, gear orother suitable means,;fro1n any suitable-source of power. The inner walls of the hingedsections 12 are provided with-annular ribs 25 suitably spaced so that the matrices, in the usual method employed, may be mounted between them, which matrices are indicated at 26 and are secured in the mold by any suitable means facingl inwardly, or toward the core 15, leaving a casting space 22 between the core and vthese matrices to receive the molten metal. The core is .preferably provided with annular grooves 27 so that the finished casting will have ribs 38 on the The upper end of the mold is closed by any suitable means, such as a head 2S provided with a funnel 29 over which is placed'the discharge nozzle 30v ol' a melting furnace. l

In orderto quickly cool the mold and the casting, after it has been poured, I provide a stationary. pipe 31 extending within they core 15 and having suitable openings 32 in the walls thereof. By forcing Water or air through this pipe .into the -core and, against the walls thereof, the core, and with it thecasting, may be quickly cooled'. This cooling may valso be facilitated, if desired,

by means of tins 12 provided on the out- 100 side of the sections 12, which will conduct heat'away fromtlie casting, and which will be cooled by air passing over them as the mold rotates. f

In carrying out my method the side sections 12 of the mold are swung outwardly away from the core about their supporting hinges and the matrices placed in position between the ribs 25 and 21, as indicated,

there being preferably. two ineach section 12, one above the other, as shown, though I may, if desired, make the mold to hold one to six matrices or more.

The sections 12 are then moved to closed position and clamped therein by any suitable means, such as hooks 33 pivoted to one scction at 34 and adapted to extend over pins 35 carried bythe other section. VWhen casting from curved matrices they are placed in sections 12 with the faces thereof on the concave side facing the core 15, and, after the sections 12 .are closed, the head 28 is placed in position and a suitable guard, indicated in dotted lines at 36, may then be placed or drawn down around the mold so that, should it become ruptured or unlatched, or molten metal come out for any reason While being rotated, no one will be injured.y

The` mold and core are now rotated by means of the pulley 24 or other suitable means, and molten metal is fed into the -upper end thereof from the discharge nozzle 30, the mold being rotated at sutiicient speed to throw this metal against the faces of the matrices and force it into the depressionstherein and uniformly distribute it over these faces by centrifugal action. This rotation is continued until the metal has set or congealed, which setting may be hastened by use of cooling fluid such as water or air fed through the pipe 31, sufficient metal being discharged into the mold to extend to about the top ed e 37 of the core 15. Rotation of the mol is now stopped andthe sections 12 opened, as shown in Fig. 3, allowing removal of the two sections of printing plates 38 therefrom and then the operation may be repeated until the desired number of plates or sections have been cast.

This method is not limited to casting curved plates or sections for cylindrical printing rolls, but ma be used to cast flat plates by Vsuitable mo ification ofthe construction ofthe mold, as desired. One way of using this method for casting at plates is shown in Fig. 4 in which fiat matrices 46 are arran ed around the mold 42 and spaced from a po gonal core 45. After the sections are removed from the mold the two or more sections, which are cast in one piece, may be sawed apart, as is obvious. Provision may be made in machine, if desired, to cast so that sawing will not be necessary as by means of separating pieces 49 in Fig. 4. This method of casting these printing plates forces themolten metal into the recesses in the matrices so that they are all completely filled with this molten metal, properly reproducing the impressions on the matrices.

hese plates are also more uniform in structure than lates produced in the stationary mold in w ich the metal is denser at the lower end than at the upper, due to the weight of the metal in the'mold, and incasting the` stationary molds unless sufficient metal is fed into the mold to reduce suicient weight on the metal at t e u per end thereof, it is liable not to be properlylforced into the depressions or recesses in the matrices, and the ent-ire printing surface of the plates is not properly formed. This extra amount of metal required also means there is more to be cut off from the ends. of the plates to be remelted. Furthermore, as the force throughout the surface of the matrices is practically uniform in the applicants method, the plates are practically of uniform density throughout and the whole printing surfaces are well and uniformly reproduced, insuring clearer printing when the plates are used in the press. In the sta tionary method, if metal is not hot enou h to fiow properly, the plate may not get sugicient metal throughout its entire surface,

due to cooling of metal in theqmold, and part of the plate will not be perfect. In my method, even if metal is not fully heated, the centrifugal force will tend to force the metalto iow to make a erfect plate.

Having thus describ the'nature of my invention, what I claim'is: -l

1. The, process of forming stereotype plates which consists in placing a matrix 1n a mold facing inwardly, introducing molten metal into the mold inwardly of the matrix, rotating the mold and matrix at sufficient speed to force the molten metal into the depressions in the matrix by centrifugal ac. tion, and continuing such rotation until the metal has set.

2. The plrocess of forming stereotype plates whic consists in lacing a matrix in a mold, introducing molten metal into the mold and simultaneously rotating the mold and matrix at suiiicient speed to force the molten metal into the depressions of the matrix by centrifugal action, and continuing such rotation until the metal has set.

3. The plrocess of forming stereotype plates whic consists in placing a matrix in a mold facing inwardly, introducing molten metal into the mold and simultaneously r0- tating the mold and matrix at sufficient speed to force the molten metal into the depressions of the matrix by centrifugal action, and continuing such rotation until the metal has set.

4. The` rocess of forming stereotype plates whic consists lin lacing a matrix in a inold having a core witli the matrix facing the core and spaced therefrom, introducing .molten metal into the space between the ma- Lio v type curved matrix in a mold having a curved core with the face of the matrix toward the core and spaced therefrom, introducing molten metal into the space between thecore and matrix and simultaneously rotating the mold, core and matrix at sufficient speed to force the molten metal into the depressions` in the matrix by centrifu al action, and continuing said rotation until the metal has set.

6. The process of forming curved stereotype plates which consists in mounting a curved matrix in a mold having a curved core with the face of the matrix toward the core and spaced therefrom, pouring molten metal into the space betwen the'core and ma trix and simultaneously rotating the mold and matrix at sufficient speed to force the molten metal into the depressions in the matrix b centrifugal action, projecting c ooling fluid lnto the core, and continuing said rotation until the metal has set.

7. The process of forming curved stereotype plates which consists in mounting curved matrices in a mold having a cylindrical c'ore with the matrices placed around the core facing the same and spaced therefrom, pouring molten metal into the space between the matrices and core and simultaneously rotating the mold and matrices at suicient speed to force the molten metalinto intimate contact with the matrices under centrifugal action, and continuing said rotation until the metal has set. v

8. The process of forming curved/stereotype plates which consists in mounting curved matrices in almold having a cylindrical core with Vthe matrices placed around the core facing the same and spaced therefrom, pouring molten metal into the space.

between the matrices and core and simultaneously rot-ating the mold and matrices at sutlicient speed to force the molten metal into intimateV contact with the matrices under centrifugal action, introducing cooling fluid into the core, and continuing said'rotation until the metal has set.

9. The process of forming curved stereolates which consists in mounting a curve matrix in a substantially vertically extending mold having a curved core with the matrix facing the core' and spaced therefrom, pouring moltenmetal into the 'space between the matrix and 'core at the upper end thereofand simultaneously rotating the mold and matrix about a substantially vertical axis with sufficient speed to forcel the molten metal into the depressions in the matrix under centrifugal action, and continu ing saidv rotation until the metal has set.`

10. The process of forming curved stereotype plates ,which consists in mountingv rices and core at the upper end thereof and simultaneously rotating the mold and matrices about a substantially vertical axis at suiiicient speed to force the molten metal into the depressions in the matrices under centrifugal action, and continuing said rotation until the metal has set.

11. The process of forming curved stereotype plates which consists in mounting curved matrices in a substantially vertically extending mold having al cylindrical core with the matrices placed around the core facing the same and spaced therefrom, pouring molten metal into the space between the matrices and core at the upper end thereof and simultaneously rotating the mold and matrices about a substantially vertical axis at sufiicient speed to force the molten metal into the depressions in the matrices under centrifugal action, introducing cooling fluid into the core, and continuing said rotation until the metal has set.

12. The process of simultaneously forming a plurality of stereotype printing plates which consists in mounting a plurality of curved independent matrices in a circular casting chamber, all said matrices being located 'substantially at the same distance from the end of the casting chamber and at equal distances from the center thereof and pouring metal in the casting chamber.

13. The process of simultaneously forming a plurality' of stereotype printing plates which consists in mounting a plurality of independent matrices in a casting chamber, all said matrices being located substantially at -the same distance from the end of the cast- 15. In a stereotype, castingV device, thecombination with a circular back and a pluralityof independent` matrices located against the inner surface thereof at substan- `tially equal distances from the end of the mold, and a common core equally spaced from the matrices to provide a plurality of spaces for the casting of a corresponding number oflplates against the matrices.

In testimony whereof I" atlix my siQ'Lnature. Y JOSEPH P. CA IN. 

